SMC takes the scenic route to Junior College World Series

SMC players have a snowball fight en route to Grand Junction, Colo., during a break from their bus ride on
Wednesday. From left to right in the foreground are Josh Escoffier, Chase Henry (Broome) and Tyler Crocker.

Published: Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 3:15 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, May 23, 2013 at 12:58 a.m.

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.

Facts

JUCO WORLD SERIES

At Grand Junction, Colo.SMC opener: 5 p.m. Saturday vs. Walters State Community College

Spartanburg Methodist could have completed its entire journey to the junior college baseball World Series in just one day, on Tuesday, but that would have meant driving through the Rocky Mountains in the dark.

And that was not going to happen.

Not as long as Tim Wallace is the coach.

The four-hour bus ride east on I-70 from Denver is one of the highlights of the trip. It might be the best part for Wallace, who can enjoy the unbelievable scenery and scout wildlife, not future players, without any of the stress that comes with baseball.

“When you're in the Rockies,” he once said, “you know there's a God.”

So the Pioneers set out for God's country on Wednesday morning. As they loaded the bus, the snow-capped mountains could already be seen in the distance. Before the bus even got out of the Denver area, Wallace was perched up high. He was looking for prairie dogs.

About an hour into the drive, the view starts to get spectacular. This is about where, in the days before cell phones, players used to run out of film in their disposable cameras.

But on this day, that's about when the bus driver learned that I-70 ahead had been closed because of a terrible head-on accident between a car and a beer truck. Four people were airlifted to a hospital and one did not survive. It was in a construction area, which was already down to one lane over a bridge.

For SMC, it meant a detour of at least three and a half hours on two-lane roads, now unusually busy with traffic, through small towns to the north.

“I'm sure I will,” Wallace said. “Not sure I can say the same about everybody else.”

Assistant coach Matt Williams sank into his seat and groaned. Wallace perched up in his seat even higher as the bus took an exit off the interstate and onto a more intimate path into God's country.

Snowball fight

At Rabbit Ears Pass, an elevation of nearly 10,000 feet, there was snow on the ground and Wallace ordered the bus driver to pull over for some unscheduled fun.

“We're going to play here,” Wallace said.

It started with just one snowball. Then another.

Before long, there were two teams, one up on the hill under the pine trees and another down below. Snowballs were flying and nobody cared if they had properly stretched or loosened up their arms. What they did, and this must have been part of Wallace's plan, was loosen up their bodies and their minds on yet another long bus ride.

A few people slipped away from the crossfire and wandered past those pine trees to take in the view. It was unbelievable, an overhang with white-out that was so bright it required sunglasses. A small stream cut its way through the snow and down into a valley.

Back on the bus, third baseman Elliott Caldwell admitted that he tried to hit Wallace with a snowball but missed too high, which has happened once or twice, maybe, in games.

“I overthrew it,” Caldwell said. “Imagine that.”

Everybody laughed.

Steamboat stop

It's a good thing the players didn't know that Wallace was planning to give them a special treat and take them to a steak house for lunch because after the detour, the best they could find was a Mexican restaurant in Steamboat Springs.

Wallace passed up on the Ore House. He wasn't sure what the school president would think about him taking a bunch of college kids to a place called the Ore House, even if it was the best little Ore House in Colorado. Some receipt-checker would surely be checking for missing letters.

So it was Mexican.

Thirty-five people eating bean-loaded burritos before another four hours on a bus with closed windows. Now what could go wrong with that?

Back on the bus, before the air needed to be cleared, the driver pointed out a place of sporting and historical significance, the first ski jump ever built in the United States. The bus did not get close enough to see another historical site, where the first-ever ski jumper in the United States landed. May he rest in peace.

The boys were ready for an after-burrito nap, but Wallace was getting excited again.

Hey, look!

Wallace was like a kid at Disneyland.

Look at those carvings on that post. Look at that wooden bridge. Look at those rocks. Look at those people fishing. Look at that dog swimming in the pond. Look at that big, red bird. Look at that jackass (donkey, not a bad driver). Look at this, look at that.

But the rest of the passengers were glad Wallace was the tour guide. It was Wallace who pointed out the big-horn sheep everybody else would have missed and the moose walking through the snow.

Of course, there were false alarms. Look at that eagle! No, it's just a hawk. Look at the buffaloes! No, those are just cows.

Wallace was encouraged by places called Bear Valley and Elk River, but there were none of those animals, except the occasional statues in front of motels and outdoor supply stores.

“Keep looking,” he said. “I'm telling you we will see some elk. … We're in the elk capital of the world. Just keep looking.”

The Pioneers finally made it to Grand Junction, without seeing any elk or bears, at about 4 p.m. on Wednesday after leaving Spartanburg at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

<p>GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.</p><p>Spartanburg Methodist could have completed its entire journey to the junior college baseball World Series in just one day, on Tuesday, but that would have meant driving through the Rocky Mountains in the dark.</p><p>And that was not going to happen. </p><p>Not as long as Tim Wallace is the coach.</p><p>The four-hour bus ride east on I-70 from Denver is one of the highlights of the trip. It might be the best part for Wallace, who can enjoy the unbelievable scenery and scout wildlife, not future players, without any of the stress that comes with baseball.</p><p>“When you're in the Rockies,” he once said, “you know there's a God.”</p><p>So the Pioneers set out for God's country on Wednesday morning. As they loaded the bus, the snow-capped mountains could already be seen in the distance. Before the bus even got out of the Denver area, Wallace was perched up high. He was looking for prairie dogs.</p><p>“There!” he blurted out. “There's one! Look, there's more! They're on those little mounds!”</p><p>His wildlife hunt, at least visually, had begun.</p><p><b>Detour ahead</b></p><p>About an hour into the drive, the view starts to get spectacular. This is about where, in the days before cell phones, players used to run out of film in their disposable cameras.</p><p>But on this day, that's about when the bus driver learned that I-70 ahead had been closed because of a terrible head-on accident between a car and a beer truck. Four people were airlifted to a hospital and one did not survive. It was in a construction area, which was already down to one lane over a bridge.</p><p>For SMC, it meant a detour of at least three and a half hours on two-lane roads, now unusually busy with traffic, through small towns to the north. </p><p>“We'll go through Rabbit Ears Pass and Steamboat Springs,” the driver told Wallace. “You'll love it.”</p><p>“I'm sure I will,” Wallace said. “Not sure I can say the same about everybody else.”</p><p>Assistant coach Matt Williams sank into his seat and groaned. Wallace perched up in his seat even higher as the bus took an exit off the interstate and onto a more intimate path into God's country.</p><p><b>Snowball fight</b></p><p>At Rabbit Ears Pass, an elevation of nearly 10,000 feet, there was snow on the ground and Wallace ordered the bus driver to pull over for some unscheduled fun.</p><p>“We're going to play here,” Wallace said.</p><p>It started with just one snowball. Then another. </p><p>Before long, there were two teams, one up on the hill under the pine trees and another down below. Snowballs were flying and nobody cared if they had properly stretched or loosened up their arms. What they did, and this must have been part of Wallace's plan, was loosen up their bodies and their minds on yet another long bus ride.</p><p>A few people slipped away from the crossfire and wandered past those pine trees to take in the view. It was unbelievable, an overhang with white-out that was so bright it required sunglasses. A small stream cut its way through the snow and down into a valley.</p><p>Back on the bus, third baseman Elliott Caldwell admitted that he tried to hit Wallace with a snowball but missed too high, which has happened once or twice, maybe, in games.</p><p>“I overthrew it,” Caldwell said. “Imagine that.”</p><p>Everybody laughed. </p><p><b>Steamboat stop</b></p><p>It's a good thing the players didn't know that Wallace was planning to give them a special treat and take them to a steak house for lunch because after the detour, the best they could find was a Mexican restaurant in Steamboat Springs. </p><p>Wallace passed up on the Ore House. He wasn't sure what the school president would think about him taking a bunch of college kids to a place called the Ore House, even if it was the best little Ore House in Colorado. Some receipt-checker would surely be checking for missing letters.</p><p>So it was Mexican.</p><p>Thirty-five people eating bean-loaded burritos before another four hours on a bus with closed windows. Now what could go wrong with that?</p><p>Back on the bus, before the air needed to be cleared, the driver pointed out a place of sporting and historical significance, the first ski jump ever built in the United States. The bus did not get close enough to see another historical site, where the first-ever ski jumper in the United States landed. May he rest in peace.</p><p>The boys were ready for an after-burrito nap, but Wallace was getting excited again. </p><p><b>Hey, look!</b></p><p>Wallace was like a kid at Disneyland.</p><p>Look at those carvings on that post. Look at that wooden bridge. Look at those rocks. Look at those people fishing. Look at that dog swimming in the pond. Look at that big, red bird. Look at that jackass (donkey, not a bad driver). Look at this, look at that.</p><p>But the rest of the passengers were glad Wallace was the tour guide. It was Wallace who pointed out the big-horn sheep everybody else would have missed and the moose walking through the snow.</p><p>Of course, there were false alarms. Look at that eagle! No, it's just a hawk. Look at the buffaloes! No, those are just cows. </p><p>Wallace was encouraged by places called Bear Valley and Elk River, but there were none of those animals, except the occasional statues in front of motels and outdoor supply stores.</p><p>“Keep looking,” he said. “I'm telling you we will see some elk. … We're in the elk capital of the world. Just keep looking.”</p><p>The Pioneers finally made it to Grand Junction, without seeing any elk or bears, at about 4 p.m. on Wednesday after leaving Spartanburg at 9 a.m. Tuesday.</p><p>And Wallace found a great new way from Denver.</p>